Huskers and Cowboys Set to Square Off in Top Five Battle

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No.  3/5 Nebraska (11-3) at No. 2/2 Oklahoma State (13-1)

Gallagher-Iba Arena?Stillwater, Okla.?Friday, Feb. 3?7 p.m.

Series History: Oklahoma State leads, 46-2-1

Last Meeting: Oklahoma State won, 20-14, on Jan. 15, 2006, in Cedar Falls, Iowa

 

Huskers and Cowboys Set to Square Off in Top Five Battle

The fifth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team will take on second-ranked Oklahoma State in a battle of two of the top teams in the nation and in the Big 12 conference.  The recent history between the two schools suggests a hotly contested dual, as the last two matches have gone down to the final match. 

 

Last season, one of the nation’s best matchups was the dual between No. 1 Oklahoma State and sixth-ranked Nebraska at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln, with the Cowboys collecting a major decision victory from Steve Mocco in the heavyweight match to clinch the 19-18 win after the Huskers held an 18-12 lead with two matches to go.  Then earlier this season, in the semifinals of the National Duals in Cedar Falls, Iowa, Nebraska again pushed Oklahoma State to the final match.  After falling down 16-4 after the first six matches, NU rattled off three straight wins to draw within two before Mocco clinched the dual for the Cowboys with a major decision win.

 

Last Time Out: #5 Nebraska 21, #11 Missouri 18

The fifth-ranked Nebraska wrestling team won its first four matches and never trailed in a 21-18 dual victory over 11th-ranked Missouri.  The Huskers stretched their winning streak over the Tigers to four.  The win was NU’s 15th over Missouri in the last 17 matchups.

           

184-pound wrestler Vince Jones started Nebraska’s winning streak with a 4-2 win over Raymond Jordan, in a battle between two freshmen.  Jones took a 3-0 lead after an escape six seconds into the second period, and hung on for the victory from there.

           

Fifth-ranked B.J. Padden defeated Jeff Foust, 8-5, in match that was tied at four after two periods.  Foust started the third period down and was called for stalling 58 seconds into the final frame.  Foust escaped 12 seconds later to tie the match at five, but Padden earned the victory with a takedown with 22 seconds to go.  Padden was also awarded a bonus point for his 2:17 advantage in riding time.

           

After a Missouri forfeit at heavyweight, ninth-ranked Paul Donahoe capped Nebraska’s four-match winning streak with a 4-3 comeback victory over 18th-ranked Austin DeVoe at 125 pounds.  Down 3-0 heading into the third period, Donahoe earned an escape five seconds into the period, then tied the match with a takedown with 1:12 left in the match.  Donahoe earned a bonus point for his 1:34 riding time advantage to give him the one-point edge and give the Huskers a 15-0 lead in the dual with six matches to go.

           

A setback at 133 pounds broke Nebraska’s winning streak, but Dominick Moyer all but put the dual out of reach with his pin of Chris McCormick at 141 pounds.  The 19th-ranked Moyer took control of the match in the final two periods, running off five unanswered points before earning the fall.  Moyer rode McCormick through the second period, earning two points for a near fall, then earned an escape and a takedown before pinning McCormick with 22 seconds to go in the match.  One of two bonus-point victories for Nebraska, Moyer’s pin gave NU a 21-3 lead with four matches to go. 

 

Series History: Oklahoma State leads, 46-2-1

Nebraska has defeated Oklahoma State just twice in 49 all-time meetings.  The first of Nebraska’s two wins came in the first matchup between the two schools in 1922.  On Feb. 14, 1993, the Huskers defeated the 16th-ranked Cowboys, 39-12, in Stillwater, Okla.  Since 1990, Nebraska has lost to Oklahoma State seven times by fewer than 10 points.

 

Scouting Oklahoma State

Oklahoma State enters its dual with Nebraska ranked second in the nation with a 13-1 dual record.  The lone defeat came at the hands of Minnesota, who defeated the Cowboys in the finals of the 2006 NWCA National Duals.  OSU is led by four defending national champions, including Zack Esposito at 149 pounds, Jake Rosholt at 197 pounds, 165-pound national champion Johny Hendricks and heavyweight national champion Steve Mocco.  Oklahoma State defeated Iowa State, 26-14, on Sunday in Stillwater, Okla.

 

The Last Time We Met: Jan. 15, 2006: Oklahoma State 20, Nebraska 14

In the semifinals of the NWCA National Duals, Nebraska fell to top-ranked Oklahoma State, 20-14, as a late Husker rally fell just short.  The Cowboys earned wins in five of the first six matches, with only Moyer earning a win for the Huskers with a 12-4 major decision victory over Daniel Frishkorn.  But through six matches, NU faced a 16-4 deficit.  Nebraska stormed back into the dual with three straight wins.  Klein defeated Brandon Mason, 3-0, and Jones followed with a 15-4 major decision win over Brent Parkey at 184 pounds.  At 197 pounds, Padden defeated second-ranked Jake Rosholt, 5-3, to pull the Huskers within two points entering the heavyweight match.  Top-ranked heavyweight Steve Mocco earned a major decision victory over Nebraska’s Jon May to clinch the dual for OSU.

 

Moyer Second Husker to be Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

Junior 141-pound wrestler Dominick Moyer was named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week, the conference announced Monday.  Moyer joins senior 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein as the second Husker wrestler to be named conference wrestler of the week this season.

 

Moyer, the 19th-ranked 141-pound wrestler, all but clinched NU’s victory over Missouri on Sunday with his pin of Chris McCormick with 22 seconds to go in the dual.  The victory by fall gave NU a 21-3 lead that it would not relinquish.  The award is the first career wrestler of the week citation for Moyer, who is now 15-7 on the season after his win Sunday. 

 

Knocking on the Clubhouse Door

NU All-American wrestler B.J. Padden enters the homestretch of his senior season within reach of becoming the 17th member of Nebraska’s 100-win club.  After closing the 2004-05 season with a fifth-place finish at 197 pounds at the NCAA Championships, Padden entered the 2005-06 season as one of the nation’s best at 197 pounds with 70 career wins.  Padden became Nebraska’s first individual conference champion since Jason Powell in 2002 with his 6-2 victory over eventual national champion Jake Rosholt of Oklahoma State at the Big 12 Championships.  Padden has an 18-2 record on the 2005-06 season, putting him 12 away from the 100-win mark.

 

Youth Served for NU This Season

After losing five starters from last year’s lineup, Nebraska has had to rely on a talented freshmen class to fill those holes this season, and the class has been more than equal to the task.  Led by co-Redshirts of the Year Paul Donahoe at 125 pounds and Chris Oliver at 157 pounds, along with true freshman Vince Jones at 184 pounds, Nebraska’s freshmen have supported the more-experienced Huskers en route to a 11-3 record.  Freshmen have contributed nearly half of Nebraska’s dual wins and dual points.  Of the Huskers’ 86 wins in duals, 37 belong to freshmen.  154 of the 344 points Nebraska has scored in duals were earned by freshmen.

 

The impact of Nebraska’s younger wrestlers was never more apparent than at the National Duals.  In the first round against Iowa, Donahoe and Patrick Aleksanyan earned back-to-back falls to give the Huskers a 12-0 lead, a lead that they would not give up, despite losses in the next three matches.  After wins from veterans Marc Harwood and Jacob Klein, Jones, in his debut in a dual for Nebraska, defeated second-ranked Paul Bradley, 4-3, to give NU a 21-10 lead.  In the quarterfinals against Michigan, Donahoe again gave Nebraska 6-0 lead with a win by fall.  After three straight losses, Oliver put the Huskers back on top by pinning fifth-ranked Steve Luke to give Nebraska a 12-9 lead.  After the Wolverines tied the dual at 165 pounds, a win by Klein gave the Huskers a three-point lead before Jones gave Nebraska a nine-point lead with two matches to go with his pin of 17th-ranked Tyrell Todd. 

 

In the semifnals against Oklahoma State, the Huskers’ comeback bid received a big jolt from Jones’ win by major decision, which pulled Nebraska within five points with two matches to go.  The third-place match against Central Michigan saw Nebraska again race to a 6-0 lead after wins from Donahoe and Aleksanyan in the first two matches.  After a setback at 149 pounds, NU picked up wins from Oliver and Jones in a four-match winning streak that clinched the dual for the Huskers.

 

Against second-ranked Michigan on Dec. 9, a pair of redshirt freshmen combined to give Nebraska a lead it would not relinquish on the road against the Wolverines.  Donahoe picked up a win by technical fall over Jim Shutich, 15-0, to give the Huskers an 8-3 lead before Aleksanyan broke through for his first dual win of his career with a 14-4 major decision triumph over Brandon Elliott at 133 pounds.  Aleksanyan’s victory gave NU a 12-3 lead with six matches to go.  The lead built by the redshirt freshmen held up, as Nebraska beat Michigan, 18-16.

 

Five NU wrestlers made their varsity debuts against Boise State on Nov. 19.  Of those, Donahoe and Oliver notched bonus-point wins for the Huskers.  Donahoe dominated in his 18-8 major decision win over Cory Fish.  Donahoe never trailed in his match with Fish, and finished by outscoring Fish 9-4 in the final two minutes of the match.  Oliver came back from a 2-1 deficit to pin Johnny Nunez in the second period at 157 pounds.  Oliver took the lead for good after starting the second period down, then escaping 16 seconds into the period.  Oliver then took Nunez down with 30 seconds to go in the match and pinned him nine seconds later. 

 

Along with Oliver and Donahoe, Aleksanyan, Robert Sanders and Matt Farrell made their dual debuts at 133, 149 and 184 pounds, respectively.  Against Michigan, 2005 Co-Redshirt of the Year Brandon Browne also made his varsity debut at 184 pounds.  The youth in Nebraska’s starting lineup reflects a talented, but young roster.  Of the 33 NU wrestlers on the roster, 23 are either redshirt freshmen or true freshmen.

 

Klein Named Big 12 Wrestler of the Week

Nebraska senior 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein was named Wrestler of the Week by the Big 12 Conference on Jan. 16.  Klein went 4-0 at the NWCA National Duals Jan. 14-15 in Cedar Falls, Iowa, helping the Huskers to a third-place finish.  Klein defeated four ranked wrestlers at National Duals, including three shutouts.  In the first round, Klein knocked off third-ranked Mark Perry of Iowa, 4-3, to help NU to a 24-13 victory over the No. 6 Hawkeyes.  Klein followed that performance with a 4-0 shutout of sixth-ranked Nick Roy of Michigan as the Huskers earned their second win of the season over the No. 5 Wolverines, 24-16.

 

On Sunday, Klein defeated ninth-ranked Brandon Mason of Oklahoma State, 3-0, in Nebraska’s semifinal loss to the Cowboys before defeating 14th-ranked Brandon Stinnott of Central Michigan, 6-0, in the third-place dual which Nebraska won, 21-10, over the seventh-ranked Chippewas.  It is the second career Big 12 Wrestler of the Week citation for Klein.  As a junior, Klein was honored as both conference wrestler of the week and CSTV National Wrestler of the Week after he defeated then-ninth-ranked Tyron Woodley of Missouri, 3-2, on Jan. 24, 2004. 

 

NU Looks to Continue Success

Despite a young roster, expectations are still high for the Nebraska wrestling team as it looks to continue a 20-year tradition of success.  The Huskers took a big step toward maintaining that tradition on Jan. 21.  The win over American on Jan. 21 gave the Huskers their 64th dual win over the last four years, placing the last four years of Husker wrestling as the best in the school annals.  After its 21-18 win over Missouri, NU is 65-15-1 in the last four seasons with three duals to go.  Over the last 20 seasons, NU has won at least 10 duals in a season 18 times and at least 15 duals eight times, including the last three seasons.  With Nebraska’s win over American on Jan. 21, the Huskers secured their 19th 10-win season over the last 21 years. 

 

The 2004-05 season capped the best three-year stretch in school history.  The Huskers were 53-12-1 from the fall of 2002 to the end of the 2004-05 campaign, marking the first time Nebraska had won 50 duals in a three-year stretch since the wrestling program was started at Nebraska in 1910.  The Huskers’ next dual win would give Nebraska its second three-year period in which the Huskers won at least 50 duals in a three-season span. 

 

Nebraska has built its success over the last three years on dominance at home.  The Huskers have won 27 of their last 29 duals in Lincoln and are 31-3 at home since the fall of 2002.  Since Mark Manning’s arrival at Nebraska for the 2001-02 campaign, the Huskers are 37-10 at home.

 

Klein Competes in All-Star Classic

NU senior 174-pound wrestler Jacob Klein wrestled in the 2005 NWCA All-Star Classic in Stillwater, Okla., Monday, Nov. 28.  Klein was defeated 8-5 by third-ranked Jacob Herbert of Northwestern.  Klein nearly fought back from a 6-0 deficit.  After earning his first point with an escape with 41 seconds to go in the match, Klein registered two takedowns in the final 15 seconds of the match.  Klein’s rally fell just short, and with one point riding time, Herbert defeated Klein, 8-5.  Klein was one of nine Big 12 wrestlers to compete in the All-Star Classic.

 

Starting Strong

Nebraska has been almost unbeatable in the months of November and December under head coach Mark Manning.  The Huskers have won 36 of 38 non-conference matches in the first two months of the season under Manning and are 36-3 overall.  During that time, Nebraska has beaten 11 ranked opponents, including an upset of second-ranked Michigan on Dec. 9.  Included in the 34 wins are four shutouts, including two at the 2004 Nebraska Duals.  

 

Huskers Sign Three in Early Period

The Nebraska wrestling team opened the early signing period with a flourish by receiving National Letters-of-Intent from three accomplished prep recruits, Husker Head Coach Mark Manning announced earlier this season.

 

“We got three really outstanding kids,” Manning said. “These guys all are good students, good wrestlers and have good character.”

 

NU’s class is led by in-state recruit Matt Vacanti.  The Papillion-LaVista product entered his senior year with a 103-0 high school career record and is slated to wrestle at either 133 or 141 pounds for the Huskers.  Vacanti was 35-0 with all wins by fall last season en route to his third career state championship.  Vacanti is also accomplished on the national stage, as a two-time cadet national champion.

 

“Matt has a great work ethic and is a tough, hard-nosed kid,” Manning said.  “His style of wrestling fits in well with the rest of our team.  He’s an exciting wrestler to watch and he gets after it.”

 

Joining Vacanti is Curtis Salazar of Greeley, Colo.  Salazar is a two-time Colorado state champion and a three-time state finalist.  Salazar, who is projected to wrestle at 149 pounds in college, is another valuable addition to the NU wrestling team, according to Manning.

 

“He’s a good wrestler who wants to get better, and he is a great student,” Manning said.  “He’s been dominating in-state and national competition and beat a lot of good, ranked opponents.  He’s come to our camp the last couple years and gets along well with our guys.  We’re happy to have him be part of our family now.”

 

Rounding out the signings is Alex Ward, from Mount Saint Joseph High School in Baltimore, Md.  Ward, projected to wrestle in the middle weights in college, is a two-time state champion at 145 pounds.  A fourth-place finisher the last two years in the national prep tournament, Ward is the son of three-time NCAA finalist and former NU assistant wrestling coach Kelly Ward.

 

“He’s an outstanding kid from a heralded program in Mount Saint Joseph High School,” Manning said.  “We expect him to improve and develop a lot in our program.  He’s an intelligent young man with great potential and upside.  He will help us out in the future.”

 

Non-Varsity Notes

Seven Huskers finished in the top four in the their respective weight classes at the Glen Brand Open in Omaha, Neb., at Jan. 21.  A pair of Nebraska wrestlers, 149-pound wrestler Robert Sanders and 197-pound wrestler Levi Wofford, won individual championships.  Heavyweight Stefan Tighe was second, while two Huskers, Mike Rowe (141) and Craig Brester (184) finished third, while three NU wrestlers, 157-pound wrestler Rob Plambeck, 184-pound wrestler Casey Roberts and 197-pound wrestler Cody Millard, took fourth in their respective weight classes.

 

Nebraska opened its non-varsity season Saturday, Nov. 12 at the Harold Nichols Open.  The Huskers were led by Brandon Browne, who opened his second year in the program with a 5-0 weekend and the 174-pound championship.  Browne headlined a list of five Husker medalists, including four NU true freshmen who made their debut in college wrestling with a top-four performance in the Harold Nichols Open.  Mike Rowe finished second at 133 pounds, while Jones and Wofford finished third at 184 pounds and 197 pounds, respectively.  Freshman heavyweight Tighe finished fourth.At the Kaufman-Brand Open on Nov. 19, seven of the 13 non-varsity wrestlers entered placed for the Huskers in the 20-and-under division,  led by Kenny Jordan, who won the 133-pound weight class in his first collegiate competition.   Jones and Wofford finished second at 184 and 197 pounds, respectively, while heavyweight Tighe finished third.  Brester earned fourth place at 174 pounds, while 197-pound wrestler Cody Millard and 184-pound wrestler Roberts each finished fifth.  On Nov. 26, Cash Coolidge finished third at 141 pounds and Brester placed second at 174 pounds for the Huskers at the Oklahoma Open in Norman, Okla.

 

On Sunday, Dec. 4, a pair of non-varsity wrestlers earned individual championships at the UNI Open.  At 133 pounds, Jordan won five matches, including a 1-0 decision over teammate Patrick Aleksanyan in the finals, to earn the championship.  At 184 pounds, Jones won four of his five matches by fall en route to the championship.  In addition to Jordan and Jones, 174-pound wrestler Browne finished runner-up to Jacob Klein. The Nebraska non-varsity wrestlers closed first semester competition at the UNK Loper Open on Saturday, Dec. 10 in Kearney, Neb.  Three Huskers earned individual championships including a pair of Huskers, 149-pound wrestler Ryan Davis and 165-pounder Ingalls, who were making their 2005-06 season debuts.  Brester also was a champion at 174 pounds, while Tighe was third in the heavyweight division.  At the Dana College Open on Jan. 7, seven Huskers finished in the top three in their respective weight classes.  The highlight for NU was the 184-pound weight class, where NU swept the top three spots.  Vince Jones earned the championship with four pins, while Casey Roberts took second and Craig Brester earned third.  David Ingalls earned the 165-pound championship, while Levi Wofford won the 197-pound championship.  James Pummel and Stefan Tighe finished third and 174 pounds and heavyweight, respectively.

 

Next Up: Nebraska vs. Oklahoma, Feb. 10, 2006, 7 p.m., NU Coliseum, Lincoln, Neb.

Nebraska closes the home portion of its schedule with a dual against eighth-ranked Oklahoma on Friday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the NU Coliseum in Lincoln on Senior Day.  The Sooners are 7-4-1 on the season after losing to Iowa State, 19-16, on Saturday, Jan. 28 in Norman, Okla.  The Huskers have won the last two duals over Oklahoma, including last year’s 19-18 thriller in Norman, Okla.

 

Nebraska Fans Fill the Coliseum and Devaney for NU Wrestling

For the second straight year, the attendance for Nebraska wrestling went up in 2004-05.  For the first time in three years, the Huskers drew over 1,000 fans per dual.  NU averaged 1,209 fans per home wrestling dual in 2004-05, highlighted by the 3,442 fans that attended the Huskers’ dual against Oklahoma State.  In 2003-04, Nebraska fell just shy of 1,000 fans per dual, averaging 927 fans per night.  That number was up from Nebraska’s average attendance of 2002-03 of 561.

 

This season, Nebraska has averaged nearly 550 fans per home date after a season-high crowd of 1,011 at the Huskers’ 21-18 win over 11th-ranked Missouri.  Nebraska’s season-opening dual against Boise State Nov. 18 drew 584 fans to the NU Coliseum.  On Dec. 17, the Nebraska Duals drew 286 fans, while the dual against Bloomsburg drew 315 fans to the Devaney Center Track on Jan. 2 and 547 fans saw Nebraska defeat Virginia Tech, 41-3, at the Devaney Center Track on Jan. 7.  655 fans took in Nebraska’s 29-21 win over American on Jan. 21.  Nebraska looks to add to its attendance totals when it faces nationally-ranked conference foe Oklahoma at home on Feb. 10.